hagman never expected the show to endure. >> i just started the show doing six shows. i never thought it would do 300. >> reporter: in fact, the "dallas" franchise was so successful, the series was recently reprised. the u.s. network tnt brought it back with a new generation of ewings and hagman came back, too, returning as j.r. once again. critics say he was the best thing about "dallas." but explaining the character's appeal, hagman once said, the time is ripe for a real bad guy and i'm it. >> have a good day, master? >> i'm going to have a wonderful day, genie. >> reporter: it was a good guy who larry hagman blasted into people's living rooms playing astronaut tony nelson on "i dream of genie." the show is still popular in syndication. even as a kid, hagman orbited in showbiz as the son of peter pan star mary martin, his movie roles included "up the cellar" and "harry and tonto". >> i don't need an office anymore. >> reporter: it was only after milking a huge contract from the producers of "dallas" that hagman became immensely wealthy. he had houses, he had cars, he